Sports Extra

The Nordic Center at Purgatory will host a women’s skate ski clinic at 1 p.m. Saturday, with all ability levels welcome.

The cost of the clinic is $15 for Nordic season pass holders or $25 for non-pass holders, and rental skis will be available.

For more information or to register for the clinic, call 385-2114.

Durango Herald

NHL

NHL counters players’ proposal with review to come

NEW YORK – The NHL and the union’s main negotiating teams met for 30 minutes before ending talks for the evening.

The league made a counter offer to the players’ proposal, and the union will review it. The sides likely will meet again today.

On Tuesday, small groups from each side met and conferred by conference calls all afternoon about provisions of a potential collective bargaining agreement. The two negotiating teams began meeting at 9 p.m. EST and soon after ended their talks for the night.

On Monday, the players’ association presented a counterproposal to an offer made by the league late last week. The NHL spent Monday night reviewing the document.

NFL

Cardinals interview Horton, interested in Reid, McCoy

PHOENIX – The Arizona Cardinals have interviewed their defensive coordinator Ray Horton for the head coaching job.

The interview, conducted Tuesday by team president Michael Bidwill, was the first in the team’s search for a replacement for Ken Whisenhunt, who was fired Monday after six seasons on the job.

The team has reached out to Andy Reid but had not scheduled an interview. Reid was fired on Monday after 14 seasons as head coach in Philadelphia.

Horton, Reid and McCoy are the only candidates thus far identified by the Cardinals.

The Cardinals’ defense was among the league leaders in several categories, with the 5-11 overall record due mostly to the worst offense in the NFL.

Reid is an intriguing prospect for the Cardinals. He could be reunited with quarterback Kevin Kolb, who had some big games with the Eagles before being traded to Arizona just before the start of the 2011 season. Kolb remains under contract with Arizona, but the team is expected to want to restructure his contract. He is set to make $9 million plus a $2 million roster bonus for the coming season.

In rare move, Bills owner gives control to Brandon

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Buffalo Bills CEO Russ Brandon added the title of team president Tuesday, and said Buddy Nix will remain the club’s general manager.

The announcement Tuesday came a day after the Bills fired coach Chan Gailey following three losing seasons.

Brandon’s promotion gives him operational control of the franchise, and he will report directly to owner Ralph Wilson, who previously held the president’s title.

Brandon discussed the move at a news conference following a Monday meeting with the 94-year-old Hall of Fame owner at his home in suburban Detroit.

The Bills are in the midst of their fifth coaching search since 2001. They’re coming off their second consecutive 6-10 season and extended the NFL’s longest playoff drought to 13 years. Over that stretch, Buffalo only once had a winning record – 9-7 in 2004.

Wilson, the franchise’s founder, only once before has given up the title of president. That was in 2001, when he hired Tom Donahoe to also serve as general manager. Donahoe was fired after the 2005 season, at which point Wilson took back the title and said he had no plan to ever give it up again.